SMWLA Advisor Spotlight: Olivier Delfosse

Social Media Week is a leading news platform and worldwide conference that curates and shares the best ideas and insights into social media and technology's impact on business, society, and culture.

Welcome to the second Social Media Week Los Angeles Advisor Spotlight Series, where we sit down with members of the SMWLA Advisory Board and other prominent members of the Los Angeles social media community to get a better understanding of how they’re influencing, shaping, and working in social media.

Next up is Olivier Delfosse, the Vice President of Interactive, Mobile and Digital Content, North America for Fremantle Media Enterprise (FME)s. Because of Oliver’s work in FME television shows, things like Twitter voting on Season 1 of The U.S. version of the X Factor was the #1 Unscripted Social Show for the entire season.

Tell us about yourself and what you do.

I run the interactive business for FremantleMedia Enterprises in North America. FremantleMedia is the global production company behind big TV formats like American Idol, The X Factor, America’s Got Talent, Family Feud and the Price is Right.

Our production team sells shows to networks, and the Enterprises team I work on monetizes those brands in various other business lines. I specifically do that in the interactive space, which includes digital sponsorships, gaming and digital content and any new media business areas we want to get into or invest in. Increasingly our digital sponsorships involve many different social extensions, so we get the opportunity to do innovative and creative things, like Twitter voting on Season 1 of The X Factor USA, something that had never been done before.

What’s your preferred social media presence and why?

Personally, I am a junkie and try everything that is new. But repeat use tends to gravitate towards Twitter for day to day and news, Facebook for work (I use groups daily), Instagram to take pictures of the things I love, Pinterest to remind me of the clothes, shoes, food and furniture I like, and Tumblr to house the media for posterity in one stream so my kids can one day see how big a dork their dad was.

What are you most looking forward to this year at SMWLA?

I’m most looking forward to connecting with amazing people who are innovating in the LA tech and social community. The fact that there will be co-mingling of people who have coded some of the seminal products we use on a day to day basis, and traditional media types, seems like a great recipe to move the dialogue forward around social and entertainment and tackle some key issues and challenges.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

What I like most about my work is the fact that I have great brands to work with that give me the opportunity to do big social programs that touch lots of people. We know that many people love American Idol and The X Factor (they tweet about it, post about it, and share videos). Now, we can harness that activity and build out unique programs that provide value back to the consumers of the entertainment and our sponsorship partners. It is just really fun to be involved in this right now.

What do you do to recharge?

Read. And then try and read some more. I have a stack of my favorite magazines that I struggle to get through, and I am usually mid-way through 2 or 3 books. Right now I am reading the new Steven King book and I Fatty, a book about the rise and fall of Fatty Arbuckle. When all that becomes to daunting I watch episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, that is just like getting a brain massage, no thought required.

How and why did you get involved with SMWLA this year?

So much of my job is involved in social now, in particular social and entertainment, that I felt like a really needed to be involved in an event that supported the dialogue around this.

Los Angeles is having an explosion of tech right now, with loads of companies sprouting up to support initiatives of entertainment companies like Fremantle. I thought that being an advisor to Social Media Week LA would be a good opportunity to share some of my experiences, meet new people who are doing amazing things, and foster the conversation.

What’s your next billion dollar idea (that you’re willing to share)?

The ultimate real-time gameshow that is live and the audience at home can participate and influence the outcome. Currently we have some challenges from a development standpoint around time zones, spoilers, etc. But whoever cracks this nut will have a great show on their hands.

Be sure to follow Oliver Delfosse on Twitter and if you’d like to get involved with him and/or our other Social Media Week Los Angeles Advisory Board Members in planning an event for SMWLA,let us know.